The present invention relates to ice bank probe assemblies for facilitating replacement or repair of the probes as required. More specifically, the present invention relates to assemblies for facilitating either removal of an ice bank probe from an associated mechanical refrigeration deck, or a protection bracket for the probe, if repair is effected through complete removal of the refrigeration deck.
In some types of post-mix beverage dispensers, the refrigeration system includes a mechanical refrigeration system which forms and ice bank in a water bath for cooling the syrup and diluent for making the beverage. The syrup and diluent pass through tubes disposed within the water bath. Such a prior art system is generally illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings which depicts a beverage dispenser (10) having a housing including a tank (12) and a shroud (14), a plurality of dispensing valves (not shown), a mechanical refrigeration unit (18), and an ice bank control system (20).
The refrigeration unit (18) includes a support plate (22) generally referred to as the deck, resting on the tank (12) and evaporator coils (24) that extend down below the plate (22) in order to produce an ice bank (shown in dotted lines) about the evaporator coils (24). This ice bank cools the water in the water bath (12) and the syrup and diluent in the tubes passing therethrough. The refrigeration unit (18) may also include an agitator (26), driven by an electric motor (28) for circulating the water surrounding the ice bank to cause the ice bank to release its latent heat, thereby cooling the diluent (water) and syrup tubes which are submerged in the water surrounding the ice bank. The refrigeration unit (18) also includes a compressor (19) for operating the mechanical refrigeration unit. In the dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1, the ice bank control system includes a pair of ice bank thickness sensors (32) and (34), both of which extend down through an opening in the plate or deck (22). This opening is labeled (40). The lower ends of the sensors (32) and (34) are disposed in close proximity to cooling coils (24) so they may accurately measure and monitor the thickness of the ice bank. Electrical wires (38) extend from the probe holder (36) just above deck (22) and run to appropriate ice bank control circuitry in a housing above the plate or deck (22).
As illustrated in this prior art beverage dispenser, the ice probe holder (36) is secured to the deck (22) by a screw or bolt (37) extending through an aperture in mounting bracket (39). Accordingly, when it is necessary to repair or replace the ice probe assembly, it may be simply unscrewed and removed from the aperture (40) and the refrigeration deck.
However, it is extremely important that the ice bank assembly be accurately positioned at predetermined distances with respect to coils (24) of the evaporator coil of the refrigerator system so that ice bank thickness may be accurately determined. The problem presented by the structure illustrated in the beverage dispenser (30) of FIG. 1 is that, when replacing the ice bank probe assembly, electrodes (32), (34) could easily be reinserted through the aperture (40) and be misaligned (improperly spaced) from coils (24). Furthermore, it requires unscrewing screw (37) which passes through bracket (39) which may very well have corroded and present difficulties in removal.
The beverage dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1 and described hereinbefore is fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,179 to Iwans which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
Another technique of repairing or replacing an ice bank probe in a beverage dispenser such as that illustrated in FIG. 1 is to simply unbolt and remove the entire refrigeration unit which includes coils (24). Such a technique is discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,422,634 to Brown and 3,892,335 to Schroeder. However, quite often when the entire refrigeration unit is removed, the very fragile ice bank probe or probes become damaged because they hit against other objects and break during removal or re-installation.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for an easily removable ice bank probe which can be quickly and easily removed from the deck of a mechanical refrigeration unit and accurately aligned with respect to the evaporator coil in a water bath when reinstalled. In addition, there is a need in the art for an assembly for protecting an ice bank probe secured to the deck of a removable refrigeration unit, should the entire deck or the probe assembly be removed for repair or replacement.